Panasonic GH5S vs Sony HX80: A Tale of Two Cameras from Different Worlds

When the topic of camera comparisons pops up, it's tempting to line up specs and call it a day. But folks, that’s like comparing a luxury sedan to a compact hatchback based purely on horsepower - sure, one has more oomph, but each is built for vastly different roads. The Panasonic Lumix GH5S and Sony Cyber-shot HX80 are precisely that kind of pair: polar opposites in design, target audience, and photographic philosophy. Yet, both have carved their niches and bring unique strengths to the table.

Having rigged up and wrangled these two cameras through a battery of tests - from low-light portraits to zippy wildlife chases - I’m here to give you the down-low on what to expect when you pick one (or both!) for your next photographic adventure. We’ll cover everything from sensor tech to ergonomics, autofocus wizardry, and whether their video capabilities live up to their marketing hype.

So, grab a cup of coffee (or…maybe a charging cable), and let’s dive deep.

First Impressions and Physical Feel: Bulk vs. Pocketability

Let’s start with the obvious. The Panasonic GH5S is a pro-level mirrorless camera that weighs in at a solid 660 grams, sporting an SLR-style body measuring about 139 x 98 x 87 mm. In contrast, the Sony HX80 is an ultra-compact superzoom, weighing a mere 245 grams with dimensions of roughly 102 x 58 x 36 mm. Handling one after the other is like switching from wielding a brick to a paperback novel.

The GH5S feels robust and reassuring - the kind of camera you grip and know it's built for serious use. Its heft contributes to stable shooting, especially with big lenses, and it screams "professional" in hand. On the other hand, the HX80’s diminutive frame fits snugly in a jacket pocket or purse pocket, perfect for grab-and-go casual shooting or travel where minimizing gear (and TSA scrutiny) is key.

For extended handheld shooting, especially in challenging conditions, I prefer the GH5S. The pronounced grip, solid button placement, and intuitive dials make long shoots less fatiguing. The HX80, while compact, offers limited ergonomics - you really need to have a steady hand to make sharp images in low light.

Control Layout: Tactile vs. Minimalist

Size impacts control layout heavily. The GH5S boasts a traditional SLR-style top plate with multiple dials, buttons, and a hot shoe hot enough to power up my external flashes. The rear features a fully articulating 3.2-inch touchscreen boasting 1620k dots, offering excellent visibility and responsiveness. Conversely, the HX80 has a more pared-down approach: a tilting 3-inch screen with 921k dots and very limited external controls.

The GH5S’s dedicated dials for shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation enable rapid manual adjustments - a godsend during fast-paced shooting. Its touchscreen also lets you quickly move focus points or swipe through menus without fumbling. The HX80’s controls are menu-driven, and lacking a touchscreen, navigating options can feel tedious, especially for those coming from more advanced cameras.

If you need speedy operation for professional work or even enthusiast shooting, the GH5S is a winner here. For casual snapshots or travel where your attention is split, the HX80’s straightforward approach might actually be less intimidating.

Sensor and Image Quality: Bigger Is Better (Mostly)

At the heart of every camera lies the sensor, and this is where the GH5S establishes a strong lead. Panasonic equipped it with a 10.2-megapixel Four Thirds sensor measuring 17.3 x 13 mm, resulting in a sensor area of 225 mm². The Sony HX80, in comparison, has a tiny 1/2.3 inch sensor with just 18 megapixels but only about 28 mm² area.

Now, you might say, “Wait, the HX80’s resolution is higher - how is the GH5S the better image maker?” Great question. Sensor size affects pixel size, noise performance, depth of field control, dynamic range, and overall image quality far more than raw megapixels. The GH5S’s larger sensor gathers substantially more light, offering cleaner images, richer colors, and better low-light latitude. The lack of an anti-aliasing filter on the GH5S sharpens details, enhancing resolution despite lower megapixels.

My side-by-side test shots revealed that even at base ISO (160), the GH5S delivers notably richer skin tones with nuanced gradations, while the HX80’s images feel more digitally processed and slightly flat. Push ISO beyond 800, and HX80 files get grainy quickly, whereas the GH5S maintains usable image quality upwards of ISO 6400 - astonishing given its relatively modest resolution.

Landscape photographers will appreciate the GH5S’s wider dynamic range, capturing shadow and highlight details with aplomb. The HX80 struggles with blown-out highlights in tricky lighting.

Seeing the World: Viewfinders and Screens

Composing your shot - the visual experience - feeds directly into your creativity. Panasonic equipped the GH5S with a bright electronic viewfinder (EVF) sporting 3.68 million-dot resolution, 100% coverage, and 0.76x magnification. It creates a crystal-clear, lag-free window into your scene. Sony’s HX80 has an EVF too, but it’s lower resolution and less comfortable for long use.

Both cameras have articulating screens, but the GH5S’s 3.2-inch touchscreen with high resolution and full articulation is a winner for videographers and photographers alike.

I often found myself working with the GH5S’s EVF for precise framing and switched to the articulated screen for awkward angles or video vlogging-style shooting. The HX80’s tilting screen is handy for selfies, but its small size and lower resolution make it less practical in bright daylight.

Autofocus and Burst Performance: Fast and Furious vs Casual Snaps

The GH5S features a contrast-detection AF system with 225 focus points and boasts eye-detection autofocus for humans - although it lacks animal eye AF. Despite not having phase-detection AF, I was impressed by its accuracy in consistent lighting. Burst shooting tops out at 12 fps, excellent for action shots.

The HX80 relies on contrast-detection AF as well but lacks the sophistication of human eye detection and sports a modest 10 fps continuous mode. For everyday quick shots on the street or simple family events, the HX80’s AF is fast enough but falters in low contrast or low light.

For wildlife, sports, and fast-moving subjects, the GH5S gives you more confidence to nail focus and follow trajectories - especially when paired with quality lenses.

Lens Ecosystems: Flexibility vs. Convenience

Panasonic’s GH5S uses the Micro Four Thirds mount, compatible with over 100 lenses from Panasonic, Olympus, and third-party manufacturers. This ecosystem includes everything from ultra-fast primes and professional telephotos to affordable zooms and macros. Considering the GH5S’s 2.1x crop factor, you get excellent reach for telephoto work without breaking the bank on giant lenses.

The Sony HX80, by contrast, sports a fixed 24-720mm equivalent zoom (a whopping 30x optical zoom!), offering tremendous versatility without changing lenses. While the maximum aperture of f/3.5-6.4 is modest, and image quality at the telephoto end can suffer, the convenience factor is undeniable.

If you love swapping glass and tailoring optics to your genre - be it portraits, macro, or wildlife - the GH5S wins hands down. For travel or casual use where carrying lenses is impractical, the HX80’s built-in zoom is a godsend.

Stabilization and Handling in the Field

Interestingly, the GH5S lacks in-body image stabilization (IBIS), which surprised many, including me, given Panasonic’s pedigree. It compensates with excellent lens stabilization and high-ISO ability, encouraging tripod use for long exposure macro or landscape work.

The HX80 includes optical image stabilization baked into its zoom lens, effective for smooth handheld shots at longer focal lengths. For casual photographers, especially shooting video or zoomed-in stills, this makes a tangible difference.

Video: Cinematic Power vs Basic Coverage

Video enthusiasts will find the GH5S a cinematic beast. It shoots DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) up to 60p at 150 Mbps, with professional codecs (H.264, H.265), flat profiles for grading, microphone and headphone jacks, and full manual control. The fully articulating screen is ideal for vlogging or shots at unconventional angles.

The HX80 sticks to Full HD video max at 60p with AVCHD and XAVC S codecs, no external mic input, and no 4K.

If video is a significant part of your workflow, GH5S is in a different league. The Sony HX80’s video is serviceable for family memories or social media clips but cannot hold a candle to GH5S’s pro feature set.

Battery Life and Media Storage: Endurance Counts

The GH5S uses Panasonic’s DMW-BLF19 battery with a CIPA rating of approximately 440 shots per charge. Dual SD UHS-II card slots offer flexible, professional-level storage.

The HX80 relies on a smaller NP-BX1 battery, with about 390 shots per charge, and a single slot supporting SD and Memory Stick cards.

For all-day shooting, especially outdoors or on trips, the GH5S’s swappable batteries and dual-card redundancy offer peace of mind.

Connectivity and Extras

Both cameras have built-in Wi-Fi, but interestingly, the GH5S includes Bluetooth, whereas the HX80 only supports NFC for quick pairing. The GH5S’s USB 3.1 port transfers data at blazing speeds. Both have HDMI output but only the GH5S supports clean HDMI for external recorders.

Neither has GPS onboard, which is disappointing, but somewhat expected for the GH5S category.

Price and Value: Investment vs Budget Play

As professional gear, the GH5S comes with a price tag around $2,500 (body only), which represents a serious investment. The HX80 retails around $368, positioning it as a budget-friendly travel camera or point-and-shoot solution.

The question is: What exactly are you paying for? Image quality, video features, build, and system flexibility are where GH5S justifies the cost. The HX80 makes up with pocket convenience and zoom reach but compromises on quality and speed.

Real-World Testing: How Did They Perform?

I tested the cameras across photography disciplines and here’s the highlight reel:

Portraits

GH5S’s larger sensor and no AA filter crafted creamy skin tones with subtle detail in highlights/ shadows. Eye-detection AF nailed focus consistently, and paired with fast primes, bokeh looked natural and luscious. The HX80 struggled with noise in low light and its moustache-soft edges made portraits look less professional.

Landscapes

Dynamic range and detail preservation gave GH5S a clear edge. Its weather-sealed body handled damp conditions without worry. The HX80, while convenient, lacked resolution and range to pull in true-to-life scenes, with shadows quickly crushed in contrast.

Wildlife and Sports

GH5S’s autofocus tracking and faster burst clobbered the HX80’s more amateurish performance. The latter couldn’t maintain tracks on fast birds or athletes, and telephoto image quality softened significantly. The GH5S with a suitable zoom lens was a joy - reliable and sharp.

Street Photography

Here the HX80’s compactness shines. Discreet, quick to deploy, and powerful zoom allow candid street scenes from a distance without disturbing ambience. The GH5S is bulky and would draw attention - plus you lose spontaneity due to size.

Macro

GH5S supports focus stacking and bracketing, aiding complex macro capture, and with suitable lenses, image clarity was exquisite. HX80’s 5 cm macro range was fun but limited by sensor size and lack of stacking.

Night and Astro

GH5S allowed high ISO, long exposures, and manual control essential for astrophotos - the HX80 is just not built for such demanding work.

Video Shoots

Panasonic’s features make it a mini cinema tool; Sony’s offering yields home movie quality.

Panasonic GH5S front Panasonic GH5S screen back Sony HX80 front Sony HX80 screen back

Overall Performance Ratings: Numbers Don’t Lie

Putting the GH5S and HX80 through our standard benchmarks (color depth, noise, dynamic range, AF speed), the GH5S dominates as expected. The HX80 performs admirably for its category but can’t keep pace.

Best Camera for Every Photography Genre: Picking Your Match

Who Should Buy the Panasonic GH5S?

• Pros or serious enthusiasts craving top-tier video and still image quality
• Photographers who prioritize manual control, professional codecs, and expandability
• Those who already have Micro Four Thirds lenses or intend to build a system
• Landscape, wildlife, macro, sports, and video-centric shooters demanding rugged gear
• Users willing to invest in a camera body that rewards skill and time with superior output

Who Should Consider the Sony HX80?

• Casual photographers wanting an ultra-portable all-in-one zoom camera
• Travelers who prioritize pocket-friendly size and great zoom reach
• Snapshot shooters prioritizing convenience over absolute image quality
• Budget buyers who can’t or won’t spend on larger mirrorless systems
• Street photographers who prefer a stealthy footprint without lens swapping

Final Thoughts: Apples, Oranges, and the Joy of Choices

Comparing the Panasonic GH5S and Sony HX80 is a lesson in matching gear to goals. The GH5S is a powerhouse designed for high-level work, creative freedom, and demanding environments. It rewards investment with exceptional image quality and versatile performance but requires a willingness to learn and invest in lenses.

The Sony HX80 charms with its pocketability and zoom - a great solution for the casual shooter or traveler who wants all-around capability without hauling luggage. Its compromises are real but understandable given the form factor and price.

In my 15+ years of testing cameras, few comparisons have illustrated this "form follows function" principle better. Neither is “obsolete” or irrelevant - it’s all about how they fit your photographic journey. Pick the right one, and your pictures will thank you.

If you want to see more sample images, ergonomic insights, or deep dive into video capabilities, check my upcoming detailed reviews on each model. For now, happy shooting - whatever you choose!

Author’s Note: I often lugged the GH5S with a fast 42.5mm f/1.7 lens on weekend hikes, marveling at the focus precision even in shady woods. Conversely, the HX80 sneaked into many urban pockets - an effortless companion for spontaneous moments. It’s funny how two cameras so different can both capture life beautifully, each in their own way.

Discover our in-depth test rigs and methodology here – Combining lab measurements, field tests, and user feedback - that’s how I deliver honest, nuanced camera guidance you can trust.

[End of Article]